Combination auto table and trunk



Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,766

A. J. PEPIN v COMBINATION AUTO TABLE AND TRUNK F'l l 2l, 1925 1 Apr; 4

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 5,1926. 1,568,766

l. J. FEHHU COMBINATION AUTO TABLE AND TRUNK Filed April 21, 1925 atto: nu#

- Jano i 1,568,766 A. J. PEPIN n COMBINATION AUTO TABLE AND TRUNK Filed April 2l, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 construction wherein the ,table may -be ei"- l `form andin front elevation;

Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

Uni-TED "STATES PATENT: l:orariof;

AUGUSTUS J. PEPIN, 0F eRANn FORKSQNORTHDA-KOTA.

coMBrnA'rronAUro TABLE Ann TRUNK.

Appiieatiqn iuedsprii 21, 1925,. serial No. 24,344.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Ausus'rus J. PENN. a citizen of ythe United States, residing at Grand Forks, iny thecounty of Grand Forks Land State `of North Dakota, have invented vcertain .new and ruseful Improvements in Combination Auto Tables and Trunks; and

1 do hereby vdeclare vthe following` to bea 'ull,l clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable, others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use ythe same.

This invention relates to a combination i table and trunk Yprimarily though not neces .sarily ,adapted for use while autoing and camping. Y

A particular object is topprovide a ynovel rconstruction adapted to serve dually as a table or as a trunkor box, which maybe carried Aonthe automobile .as `an accessory.

Another `object is to :provide a novel construction whereinall of the joints jareefficiently Atrussed or braced when the article is in table form. v a i Afu-rther object is,` to provide a novel ectively farr'anged into different lengths.

A still further Objectis `to providega conl struction wherein the bracingsmeans for thedifferent parts when Ausedun table form, Y may ,consistfof brackets y'which latter may Figure 2 plan viewer the deviceiin .trunk form;t V .c

Figure 3 is a sectionalview taken on the y line 3-3 of Figure 1; n

Figure l is a sidev elevation of the `device as used in table form ofmaximum length;

Figure 5 is a vlongitudinal lsectional view of the v,device as used in table ,form of minimum length; i l

Figure 6 is a cross sectionalview taken on the .line 6.-6 of Figure 5. c

Figure 7 is aperspective view of oneoi1 vthe intermediate sections; l.

Figures LS and` 9 are detail views taken on the lines S-SandQ-Q of Figure',

yFigure 3. Iai-e`\ also used -to complete the trunk `but which are not used in the case of the table.

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view taken` von the line 10-10 of Figure v2, and

Figure 11 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the. drawings, the

device primarily comprises panels 10 and 11 which Aform the ends of tables as in Figures t and 5 and which form the top and front, of a box, chester trunk as well shown in Figure 3. Saidpanels 10 and 11 are sup- "pleinented by additional similar `panels 12,

forming intermediate panels, Ato extend the table asin Figure aand form the bottom andrear-wall or the trunk as shown in Similar end walls or panels 13 Said walls or panels 10, 11 `and 12 `may be made of any suitable size and material, for instance wood as shown, metal or otherwise.

The walls or panels 10, 11-and 12 are adapted ifor sii/inging or hinge lmovement so as lto aline `to forni a ,table top as in Figure 4, and are normally heldA against ,such movement. and in boX or trunk form by the end wallsfl.` Such end walls 13,

areremovable and have studs 14 lat the sides and bottom removably vpenetrating eyes 15 of keepers 16 screwed `or otherwise fastened to the `panels 11 and 12, see Figures 3, 9 la'ndfll. In addition, and preferably Aadjacent .the top, `the .end lpanels "13 Ahave plates 1T fastenedy thereto lthrough which latches 18are pivoted at 19, see F iguresB andkS. Latchesl 18 are of lhookhform Vand their, hooks are yadapted `:for passage through 'eyes or openings 20 of keepers 21, similar to Vthe-kelepers1G.and fastenedl to thewall 11 land'tolthe wall l12 parallel therewith.

fTheisaid latches 18y normally prevent unfolding of the walls 11 and 12 towards parallelism yor Itable top Vform butthey permit 4thel top 10 `to be moved relatively to permit access to the trunk.-v

VVall 10 at the rear longitudinal edge and the walls 11 and 12 at their adjacent vedgesiare pivotally and ldetachably con,`

nected togetherA by `apprcr priate hinges generallydesignated `221 `and detailed in Figure 10. These hinges comprise leaves 23 `and 24, screwed or otherwise fastened to they appropriatepanels. The leaves21:A have an- ,.gular offsets 25 provided with eyes .for openings 26 through Awhich the otherleavesl23 .pass loosely,.. and beyond whichthey qpreferably have v` :Juigular offsets 27 to `coaet with that at so that the leaves maybe joined together in such manner that although separable from each other, they will nevertheless permit swinging of the panels without undue danger of separation or detachment. At the front, panel 10 has a suitable fastening as at 28 carrying a hasp 29 pivoted at 30 and adapted for coaction with a staple 31, in the usual manner, carried by the panel 11 adjacent its upper edge, and which staple of course may receive a suitable padlock or equivalent device.

Carried by each of the panels 10 and 11 is a suitable leg or support generally designated 32 and which in the case of the trunk is normally compactly folded with respect thereto as well as shown in Figure 3 and also Figures 1 and 2. These devices 32 each comprises a pair of spaced legs joined at their proximo ends by braces or bridges 34. Also at such proximo ends, the legs 33 pivotally connected by screws or the like 35 to L-shaped hinged leaves 36 fastened to the panels 10 and 11. Such legs, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 are adapted to assume and be limited in movement to a table supporting position, preferably at the slight angle shown. To this end, links 37 and 38 are pivotally connected together as at 39 and respectively pivoted at 40 and 41 to the legs 33 and to the panels 10 and 11. Such links are normally compactly folded as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 but are limited to the unfolded position of Figures 4 and 5 through the abutment of a stop-lug 42 on the links 37, with the links 38.

Suitably fastened to the panels 10 and 11 as shown are brackets 43 while brackets 44, which in effect are substantially double the form of brackets 43, are appropriately fastened to the intermediate panels 12. These brackets 43 and 44 in the alined or table position of Figure 4 have abutting portions 45 disposed at a right angle to the panels. Said portions v45 serve as keeper portions in that they have registering openings 46 therethrough, through which the hook 47 of a latch 48 is adapted to pass to rigidly secure them together as well shown in Figure 5. The latches 48 are pivotally mounted as at 49 in any suitable manner on the brackets 43 and 44. On the pivot elements or pins 49, expansive coil springs 50 are mounted which engage the brackets 43 and 44 and the latches 48 in such manner that the hook 47 is urged in a direction away from the panel by which it is carried so as to be urged in other words to fastening position.

In use, the device in the trunk form as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, is adapted to be carried on the running board, at the rear or otherwise on an automobile or vehicle. It may thus serve as a trunk and access to the interior thereof is had by unfastening the hasp 29 from the staple 31 and then swinging the top or panel 10 upwardly and rearwardly on the associated hinges 22. At the destination, when camping, or otherwise, if the device is to be used as a table, after the panel 10 has been opened in the manner previously suggested, the leg devices or supports 32 may then be unfolded 0r projected, but which unfolding or projecting may be delayed until panels 10, 11 and 12 are in alinement, as preferred. lVith the panel 10 open, the latches 18 are swung into released position and thereafter panels 10, 11 and 12 may be swung on their hinges 22 into alinement as in Figure 4, being limited to the alined position by the abutment of the keeper portions 45 of brackets 43 and 44. When such alinement and abutment is effected, the hooks 47 of latches 48 automatically pass through the registering openings 46 and thus lock brackets 43 and 44 together and accordingly locking the panels 10, 11 and 12 in alined position or table form.

The table of Figure 4 is of maximum length and in the event a shorter table is desired, the intermediate sections or panels 12 may be removed so that the sections or panels 10 and 11 will be directly connected together by the associated latch 48 as shown in Figure 5. Such sections or panels 12 may be readily disengaged through the disengagement of the leaves 23 and 24 of the associated hinges 22. If desired, instead of both of the sections or panels l2 being removed, one of them may be permitted to remain so that the table top would comprise a section 10, 11 and 12.

Attention is called to the fact that the leg devices 32 in their folded relation are disposed intermediate the brackets 43 as best shown in Figure 3, so as to be protected particularly against danger of lateral distortion, by such brackets.

It will be furthermore apparent that as the legs 33, the leg brackets comprising the links 37 and 38, and the brackets 43 and 44 and the other parts comprising the means for forming the table top, are exterior of the device when in trunk form, these parts will in no wise restrict the trunk for baggage carrying, and furthermore the size of the panels 10, 11, and 12 forming the top of the table will be kept clean by being on the interior of the trunk form.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope to the latter form, and latches carried by said brackets for coaction with each other to secure the panels in table-top form, said brackets having keeper portions adapted for direct engagement, and said keeper portions provided With alining openings for reception and coaction `with the latches.

2. An apparatus of the class described having panels, means detachably connecting said panels and pivotally connecting them to permit use thereof in a plurality of articles, one of said articles being a table, brackets on said panels having keeper portions adapted for abutment in the table form, and latches on the brackets coacting with the keepers.

3. An apparatus of the class described having panels, means detachably connecting said panels and pivotally connecting them to permit use thereof in a plurality of articles,

one of said articles being a table, brackets onV said panels having keeper portions adapted for abutment in the table form, latches on the brackets coacting with the keepers, and supports for certain of the panels in the latter position, said supports being carried by certain of the panels and foldable with respect thereto.

4. An apparatus of the class described having panels, means detachably connecting said panels and pivotally connecting them to permit use thereof in a plurality of articles7 one of said articles being a table, brackets onsaid panels having keeper portions adapted for abutment in the table form, latches on the brackets coacting With the keepers, and supports for the panels in the latter position, said supports being carried by certain of the panels and foldable With respect thereto and intermediate certain of said brackets for protection by the latter.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising panels detachably and hingedly connected together whereby they may form Walls of a trunk and may also serve as a table top, brackets carried by the panels adapted for engagement t0 limit their movement to table top form, and fastening elements coacting with the brackets to secure the panels rigidly in the latter form, said brackets and fastening elements being eXterior of the device when in trunk form.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

AUGUSTUS J. PEPIN. 

